"DOUGHNUT HOLE" SENIORS URGED TO SWITCH TO GENERICS

NOVEMBER 01, 2006

With millions of American seniors
entering the Medicare Part D
"doughnut hole," participants in
the Medicare prescription drug
program are being urged to turn
to generic drugs to hold down
their medication costs.

Under the new Part D Medicare
drug benefit, seniors whose prescription
drug expenditures exceed
$2250 are responsible for
paying 100% of the cost of their
medication until coverage resumes, when total annual
expenditures reach $5100.

The gap between those 2 thresholds, known as the
doughnut hole, has forced many Medicare recipients to
resume paying full price for their prescription medicines.
To cope with these sudden expenses, government officials
are urging seniors to turn to lower-cost generic drugs.

Testifying before the Senate Committee on Aging, former
Medicare Administrator Mark McClellan, MD, PhD,
urged seniors to consider using generics to hold down
costs because these products "are just as safe and effective
as brand name versions." Predicting that more
Medicare drug plans offering coverage for generic drugs
will be introduced next year, Dr. McClellan said that Part D
"plans that don't do well with generics are not going to do
well in this program."

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Director of
Pharmacy Affairs Marissa Schlaifer echoed Dr. McClellan's
advice, noting that "to avoid falling into the doughnut
hole," seniors should "make use of generic drugs whenever
appropriate." Visit the ePharmacyTimes Web site at
www.pharmacytimes.com/articleNewsletter.cfm?ID=3930
for more on the doughnut hole dilemma.